UNESCO 2020 HackingDisinfodemic A Global Media and Information Literacy Youth Hackathon

HackingDisinfodemic is a global competition on MIL targeting youth, organized in the framework of Global MIL Week 2020, which will be commemorated from 24 to 31 October, under the theme of “Resisting Disinfodemic: Media and Information Literacy for Everyone and by Everyone”.

UNESCO and partners are calling on youth worldwide to participate in this four-week virtual hackathon to design innovative solutions to disinfodemic and related online challenges.

The Hackathon will follow the theme of MIL against disinfodemic. It complements the mainstreaming of young men and women in the Global MIL Week In-Focus Sessions by enabling more significant youth leadership. Youth from local schools, universities, youth centres and youth organizations, as well as youth leaders from around the globe, are invited to participate. The winning teams and the outcome of the Hackathon will be presented during a dedicated online Press Conference on 27 October 2020.

This initiative builds on the first Global MIL Hackathon organized during Global MIL Week 2018, and the CodeTheCurve Hackathon organized by UNESCO earlier this year.

• Table of Content
• About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic
• Aim and Benefits of UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic
• Requirements for UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. Political and economic arrangements of governments are not enough to secure the lasting and sincere support of the peoples. Peace must be founded upon dialogue and mutual understanding. Peace must be built upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity. I... continue reading

UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic

Aim and Benefits of UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic

Winning teams will gain:

1. Opportunity to pre-launch the projects globally during an online press conference
2. Interviews with potential donors and partners
3. Invitation to UNESCO’s Global MIL Week 2021 Feature Events
4. Two-day mentoring offered by a team of world-class MIL and game experts
5. A participation certificate from UNESCO and the Republic of Korea
6. Recognition through a UNESCO press release and various channels

Requirements for UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic Qualification

Any person or group of persons who are of ages between 18 and 35 years and adheres to the values of UNESCO. No previous coding background is required. Experience and expertise in game, mobile application, website and radio development would be an asset.

Task and challenges: Design innovative and creative solutions to one of the three challenges below:

1. Media and information literacy to counter the COVID-19 disinfodemic
2. Media and information literacy to fight discrimination
3. Media and information literacy to combat online privacy and data protection infringements

Solution categories:

1. Game
2. Application/Website
3. Radio programme/Podcast
4. Creative community-based intervention (non-technology focused)

Interview date, Process and Venue for UNESCO Hacking Disinfodemic

The jury members will include representatives from UNESCO, Republic of Korea, World Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), IBM, Twitter, the UNESCO MIL Alliance, and the UNESCO-UNAOC MIL and Intercultural Dialogue University Network.

Evaluation criteria:

1. Consistency
2. Excellence
3. Feasibility and Sustainability
4. Potential Impact

Timeline:

1. 13 October 2020: Announcement of shortlisted participants
2. 14-15 October 2020: Two-day mentoring on MIL and the hackathon
3. 16 and 19 October 2020: Two-day hacking
4. 19 October 2020: Submission of pitches
5. 20-23 October 2020: Judging process
6. 23 October 2020: Announcement of winners
7. 27 October 2020: Press Conference “Youth Tackling the Disinfodemic: Outcome of the Global MIL Youth Hackathon”

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Submission format: Prototype of the solution and a 3-minute video pitch (a creative format is strongly recommended), which must present:

1. Problem statement, objectives and alignment with one of the three challenges
2. Explanation of the prototype
3. Feasibility
4. Audience
5. Deployment strategies
6. Business model and evidence of market validation
7. Sustainability

For more details, visit the program webpage